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The brazen terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri on September 18 resulted in the death of 18 security personnel. This is by far the worst attack in Jammu and Kashmir in the last few years. According to information shared by the government, more than 180 security personnel have lost their lives in the state since 2013 in more than 700 militant strikes.
According to data presented by the government in the Lok Sabha, there have been more than 670 infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir since 2013. In 2013 alone, there were 277 such incidents, resulting in the killing of 38 terrorists. The next year witnessed 222 infiltration bids, in which 52 terrorists were killed.
While the number of such attempts decreased substantially in 2015, the Centre acknowledged that there has been a spurt in infiltration attempts in recent months.
There have been two deadly attacks on security personnel in J&K this year, one on a CRPF convoy in June and the Uri attack on 18 September.
On 25 June, after completion of the annual range classification firing at Lethpora, a CRPF convoy consisting of four vehicles and carrying 74 personnel was returning its unit headquarters in Srinagar. When the convoy was passing through Pampore town, two militants armed with AK-47 rifles appeared all of a sudden and opened indiscriminate fire.
In the encounter, both the militants were killed. However, eight CRPF personnel were also martyred and 27 were injured.
Then there is, of course, the Uri attack. Eighteen soldiers were killed when four militants attacked the 18th Battalion headquarters. They hurled grenades that set tents and temporary shelters on fire.
(This article has been edited for length)
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